When most people think of oil, the gas they put into their cars probably comes to mind. But crude oil pumped from the ground or sea can be manufactured into far more than fuel, thanks to petrochemical engineers. These engineers are able to break down oil or natural gas into its base components and then reconstruct it as specific types of oil products such as auto fuel, as well as plastics, polymers and other compounds found in many everyday products, from dishwasher-safe containers to artificial carpet fibers. The job demands a high level of skill, but those who thrive in the profession may be rewarded with six-figure salaries.

Chemical Engineering Salaries

Engineers who devise the ways to manufacture products like vehicle fuel, synthetic rubber and plastics, as petrochemical engineers do, are considered part of the "chemical engineer" profession by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These engineers made a mean annual wage of $99,440 as of May 2011. The top 10 percent made an average of $146,650 per year, while the bottom 10 percent were paid $59,380 per year.

Salary by Industry

The amount a petrochemical engineer can earn may depend on the industry in which he is employed. For instance, those working in the scientific research and development field were paid $104,140 on average, according to the bureau. Those working on synthetics such as rubber and fibers were paid $91,610 per year on average, while those working in petroleum product manufacturing were paid a mean annual salary of $104,040. The best-paid petrochemical engineers actually worked with natural gas (REF 2), and earned $157,940 on average.

Salary by State

Coastal states, with their offshore oil rigs, employed the most petrochemical engineers, according to the bureau. At the top of the list was Texas, where these engineers made $115,870 on average, and fellow Gulf of Mexico state Louisiana was ranked No. 3 in employment, paying $111,260 on average. California, on the Pacific coast, was No. 2, and paid $105,200 per year. The best-paying state for petrochemical engineers was Alaska, with its rich oil reserves. There, the annual salary averaged $135,670, more than $15,000 per year more than the next-highest-paying state.

Petroleum Engineers

Some petrochemical engineers may be employed as what the bureau calls petroleum engineers. They work on the supply end of the industry, dealing with oil and gas extraction and production, rather than the chemical alteration of the raw materials. The mean annual wage for petroleum engineers was $138,980, according to the bureau.

About the Author

Eric Strauss spent 12 years as a newspaper copy editor, eventually serving as a deputy business editor at "The Star-Ledger" in New Jersey before transitioning into academic communications. His byline has appeared in several newspapers and websites. Strauss holds a B.A. in creative writing/professional writing and recently earned an M.A. in English literature.